


Where You Lead, I Will Follow

by illegalitygirl



Category: Saiyuki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 11:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20853011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illegalitygirl/pseuds/illegalitygirl
Summary: Poison gas affects Sanzo and Gojyo.  Goku and Hakkai attempt to revive them.





	Where You Lead, I Will Follow

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to EzraTheBlue for the beta! (I thought I posted this months ago, but I guess not.)

Goku shifted in his seat. His stomach was rumbling deep and low, and he wrapped his arms around his middle.   
“Hey, Hakkai? How much further til we get to a town?” He gritted his teeth as his stomach cramped and gurgled again.  
“You see those hills?” Hakkai said, pointing. “There should be a town about 10 miles from there. At this speed and barring any interference, I’d wager we’ll arrive well within the hour.”   
Sanzo reached into his robe sleeves and retrieved a small bundle wrapped in white paper and tied with twine. He reached behind him into the back seat and tapped Goku on the knee with the package. Goku cocked his head curiously and took the gift.  
He turned it over in his hand and glanced into the side mirror at Sanzo. Sanzo lifted his chin as if to say, “go ahead”. Goku untied the twine and unwrapped the paper, smiling wide as a thick slice of dense fruit bread dropped into his palm.  
Goku threw his arms around Sanzo from behind and said, “Aw, thanks Sanzo!” He sat back and enjoyed his treat with gusto.  
“Tch.” Sanzo crossed his arms and hoped his hair was hiding the pink blush at the tips of his ears.   
As they got closer to the valley between the two hills, a familiar twinge shot through them all. Gojyo sat up, poised to pounce on any would-be attackers. Goku got his feet under himself and crouched low, steadying himself on the back of Sanzo’s seat. Sanzo grabbed the top of the windshield in front of him and held on as Hakkai maneuvered Jeep to the side of the large group of youkai that appeared seemingly out of thin air. As soon as they screeched to a halt just inside the valley, dozens of youkai closed in from all sides.  
“GIVE UP THE SUTRA, SANZO PARTY!” The words rang out and echoed throughout the small canyon.  
“Really? They need a new catchphrase.” Gojyo summoned his weapon and let the blade fly.   
“Dude, for real.” Goku swatted at a few demons as they swarmed in. Gunshots bounced off the rocks and bright green light burst in and out of view.   
The flow of youkai into the valley seemed endless.   
“Sanzo, we seem to be greatly outnumbered. They have both ends of the canyon closed off.” Hakkai unleashed a huge chi blast that took out a great wide swath, and yet the space was quickly refilled with more demons.   
Sanzo was covered in blood spatter from the close range gunshots he was firing off at rapid speed. His robe sleeves had been torn where one youkai had actually managed to grab onto him before he could shoot.   
“You want the sutra?” Sanzo pressed the barrel of his gun against the closest demon’s chest and pulled the trigger. “Here’s the goddamn sutra.”   
Gojyo turned toward Sanzo when the monk closed his eyes. He dove between the influx of youkai and the priest. “Get ta chantin’, Baldy! I’ll hold ‘em off!” Gojyo swung hard to the left as a demon lunged at Sanzo.   
Eyes closed, Sanzo started the incantation. “On ma ni-” Shakujo’s crescent blade took off the demon’s head, then swung in a wide arc. “...hatsu mei un-” The chain clotheslined another herd of charging youkai, sending them flying backwards. He turned just in time to take a foot to the temple and land hard in the dirt.. “MAKAI TENJO!”   
Just as the sutra left Sanzo’s shoulders, the entire canyon was filled with thick gray smoke. Gojyo struggled to breathe. He tried to sit up, but collapsed and passed out after taking in a lungful of acrid vapor. Sanzo fell to his knees, gasping for air. The Maten sutra whipped around and completely obliterated every enemy in the vicinity. When the sutra returned to rest on its master’s shoulders, the smoke had thinned enough for Goku to find Sanzo and lift him. “Gojyo! Hakkai! Where are you?!”  
He heard Hakkai shouting something, and then a gust of air cleared the smoke around them. Jeep flapped his wings hard and blew away enough of the miasma to land safely. He changed out of his dragon form and Goku leapt into the back seat with Sanzo. Hakkai emerged from the fog carrying Gojyo in his arms. He placed Gojyo in the passenger seat, dropped himself into the driver’s seat, and urged Jeep forward as quickly as he dared.  
Hakkai hoped fresh air would revive his teammates, but it wasn’t helping. Sanzo wasn’t rousing, and Gojyo seemed to barely be breathing. Hakkai hardly dared to slow down even for bumps in the road, daring to glance at Gojyo between shifted gears, but when they got out of the canyon and close to the town,Hakkai gave in and started shaking Gojyo and calling his name. He was close to true panic when at last Gojyo responded with a pathetic groan.   
He blinked up at Hakkai before closing his eyes and dropping his chin to his chest. Hakkai let out a relieved huff and called out to Goku. “How is Sanzo?”   
“He’s breathin’, but he’s out like a light. He ain’t movin’ like Gojyo.”   
Gojyo responded to his name by grunting and flopping his head back.  
“Hng. Haaaaaah. Huh.” Gojyo mumbled some nonsense and his head once again lolled to the side.  
Hakkai glanced into the rearview mirror at Goku. “I will check him for injuries when we reach an inn. Keep calm, we’re nearly there.”  
“Okay.” Goku cradled Sanzo’s head on his lap and held a hand on his chest to make sure his lungs were still working.

Jeep came to a halt in front of the first inn they came to and Hakkai reached back into the backseat and into Sanzo’s robes. He pulled out the gold card and raced inside. A few moments later, he came running out with a key in his teeth. He gathered Gojyo into his arms and hurried for the door.   
Goku gingerly lifted Sanzo’s unmoving body and carried him up the inn’s steps bridal-style.  
“Heh, you’d kill me if you were awake right now.” Goku felt a puff of breath against his neck. Did Sanzo just huff at me?  
Goku glanced at the sleeping monk and figured it was just his imagination. He found Hakkai waiting for him at the door to their shared room, Gojyo already laid out on one of the beds. Hakkai gestured to the bed opposite and returned to Gojyo’s side. He was bent over him, using his chi to heal his scrapes and bruises and murmuring his name over and over. Gojyo would respond just a tiny bit more each time.   
Goku put Sanzo on the other bed. He took off Sanzo’s boots, untied his robes and touched his cheek.   
Gojyo was responding with actual words now, even though they were still slurred and slow.  
“Hakkai… What. What. My head. I just.” Hakkai shushed him and got him to sit up a bit, propped against the pillows. He grimaced a bit as he lifted himself up, shifting to a sit. He held his head. Hakkai got him to drink a bit of water and he cleared his throat.  
“Holy fuck! That was awful! I could hear ya, but I couldn’t see ya or move. I was tryin’ to tell you to keep talkin’. I could kinda, I dunno, find my way back when ya called my name?” Gojyo shook his head.  
Hakkai looked over to Sanzo, still unconscious and motionless. “Goku, perhaps Sanzo could find his way back to us if you were to call to him?”  
Goku swallowed. “Uh, okay. I’ll try.”   
He knelt on the floor by Sanzo’s bed and spoke softly, like he was afraid to wake him.  
“Sanzo. Sanzo. It’s me, Goku. You know, your stupid monkey?” He tried to laugh a bit, but it came out a nervous giggle. He glanced at Hakkai who motioned for him to continue. He cleared his throat and tried again: “Sanzo, I need ya to come back now. Sanzo?” Goku looked up to Hakkai and shrugged. There was no reaction whatsoever.   
Hakkai pushed a chair to the bedside and pulled Goku up to sit. “Perhaps if you call to him without using your voice?” He patted Goku on the shoulder and turned his attention back to Gojyo.  
Goku took a deep breath and leaned his forehead on the bed next to Sanzo’s pillow.  
Sanzo? Can ya hear me?  
Sanzo inhaled sharply and turned his head. His eyes didn’t open, but Goku beamed.   
SANZO! It’s Goku! Wake up! Please? I need you to come back now.

Sanzo felt himself being moved and tried to open his eyes, but they wouldn’t open. He tried to ask what the hell was happening, but he couldn’t speak. He tried desperately to turn his head, to move his arm, to wiggle a toe, anything. Nothing moved.   
He heard Hakkai but couldn’t understand what he was saying. He heard what he assumed was Gojyo, but again the words held no meaning. He felt like the world was slipping further and further away the longer he was in this condition.   
Then he heard a very familiar voice. One he remembered from a long time ago. An annoying voice. The voice of a monkey.  
Sanzo? Can ya hear me?  
Sanzo felt himself rise a bit from the pit he was stuck in. He focused and willed his body to respond. He turned his head.  
“That was a pathetic attempt.” He was angry with himself that he couldn’t get his own body to obey him. He felt himself slipping down again.  
SANZO!  
He tried to grab onto the voice calling him.  
It’s Goku!  
“Yeah, I know! Keep talking, I can hear you!” Sanzo tried to shout. He didn’t, but it was easier to feel himself. He felt lighter.   
Wake up!   
Please?  
“I’M TRYING DAMMIT!” Sanzo felt himself coming closer to the surface.   
I need you to come back now.

Sanzo’s eyes opened as he came crashing back to reality, scrabbling at the bed and kicking his legs out. Goku stood and knocked his chair over as Sanzo sat up, panting and ready to punch his way out of the room if necessary.   
Sanzo twisted his head around, his arm still pulled back ready to strike. When he actually saw where he was, he relaxed and fell back onto the bed.   
“Fuck. My head.” He covered his eyes and pressed his palms against his temples. He felt Goku’s hand slide behind his head and a cool glass touch his lips. He opened his mouth and gulped down the water like he had just crossed a desert with an empty canteen.  
“What happened? I remember releasing the sutra and then… “ He waved his hands in a sweeping motion.   
“It seems that the youkai that attacked us had some sort of paralyzing gas. I am assuming that it was made to incapacitate only humans since Goku and I were not affected. Gojyo was affected, but not to the extent that you were.” Hakkai had a cool cloth pressed to Gojyo’s head. They were both looking a lot more relieved than Sanzo thought they had a right to.  
Gojyo tugged Hakkai back towards him and they immediately slipped off into their own conversation.  
Goku had picked up his chair and was now perched on it looking stupidly happy.   
Sanzo grabbed Goku’s collar and pulled him close so he could speak into his ear.  
“I heard you calling. I followed your voice.” He pushed Goku back and rolled over, hiding the blush in his cheeks. “Take the card and go get us some food.”  
“Thanks, Sanzo!” Goku grabbed the card from Hakkai and bounded out the door. The door reopened a moment later. Goku stuck his head in and regarded Hakkai sternly. “Keep an eye on Sanzo while I’m gone.” He quickly disappeared again.  
Sanzo barked out a laugh. “Hakkai only has one good eye and that seems to be focused entirely on the idiot in the other bed.”   
Gojyo sat up a bit and remarked, “Yeah? Seems you have selective hearing. Specially tuned to the monkey station.”  
“You’re about to hear me shooting you in the face.” grumbled and shifted in bed.  
Sanzo closed his eyes. Of course he followed that voice. He would always follow that voice. No matter how annoying.


End file.
